With her East Village-meets-West End sensibility and her designer boyfriend (Suno's Max Osterweis), this buyer for one of the coolest stores in town makes mixing business with pleasure the best part of the gig

Kate Foley

Kate Foley

The Woman: Kate Foley, New York City

The Job: Buyer for indie chainlet Opening Ceremony, founded in 2002; selects the merch for New York City, Los Angeles, and London locations as well as online

The Uniform: Whether jetting off to Paris for fashion week or writing up inventory orders at the office, Foley can be spotted in the same Proenza Schouler and Suno looks she snags for the store. She’ll subvert girlier styles with Delfina Delettrez finger cuffs or blood-red Nike high-tops. “It’s pretty random,” she says. “And sometimes it just doesn’t work.”

Change Agent

Change Agent

ELLE: Opening Ceremony is known for its intimidatingly cool selection. How do you know which items make sense for the brand?

Kate Foley: The way we buy is different from the way other stores buy: It’s very emotional, and we’re willing to take chances. I don’t work with any specifications in mind when I’m looking for new brands. I just buy what I love. For fall, that includes ankle-tie black mesh Bionda Castana heels and electric blue silk Isa Arfen culottes.

ELLE: When you consider stocking an item, do you take into account how it will sell online versus in-store?

KF: Not really. Online should be a reflection of what we carry in-store. Our website is a window into the OC world. Someone in China should be able to log on and have the same feeling she’d get at one of our stores.

Foley (pictured at the OC New York City offices with head buyer Carol Song) knows which pieces make sense for the brand: “If we really love something, we’re going to try it,” she says. “A lot of the funky, wacky pieces sell really well.”